It ain’t just about the oil. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear to me that applied tribology is more about training and behavioral science than about engineering and material science.

I would guess that for every bearing that failed due to a problem lubricant (wrong selection, poor quality, etc.) there are ten others that fail due to problem lubrication (neglect, procedural, timing, etc.). No amount of expertise in lubrication and machine reliability will overcome the destructive aftermath caused by rotten maintenance culture.

In fact. most companies seem to have a maintenance culture that is in urgent need of an intervention strategy. I recently wrote a column on a 12-step program for recovering addicts of lubrication neglect.

Although similar, this column discusses culture and behavioral foundation issues that seem to be at the core of lubrication neglect and other maintenance performance malfunctions. It borrows much from management science and leadership principles.

Over the years, I’ve engaged in hundreds of conversations on this topic with individuals from many companies and countries. Some come from organizations infected with culture problems, while others represent businesses that have emerged from a successful transformation.

Then there are those organizations which achieved transformation but transgressed to their bad habits and past addictive practices.

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